For a background reading about meat extenders, reference may be made to one or more of the following United States patents and the references cited thereon: 5,183,683; 5,160,758; and 4,276,319.
In order to provide a concrete example of a product using the inventive vegetable meat extender or "crumble", reference is made herein to a pepperoni product. However, this specific reference is not a limitation on the appended claims. Quite the contrary, the invention may find use in many coarse ground meat systems, for example, sausage, ground beef patties, etc.
Because consumers, processors, and regulatory agencies are changing their attitudes, the use of soy protein products is increasing in processed meat systems. These soy products are added to various meat products in order to reduce their costs, improve their health qualities, etc. The soy products contribute nutrition, flavor, and valuable functional properties when used as partial meat substitutes, binders, emulsifiers, meat flavor enhancers, brine ingredients, and meat analogs.
Most of the current domestic meat applications for soy protein are in comminuted and coarsely ground meat products, with the coarsely ground meat being the largest area. In finely chopped meats, such as frankfurters and bologna, soy protein isolates are used for their moisture and fat binding, fat emulsifying, and stabilizing properties. These functional properties make them ideal ingredients for use in processed meat products, both coarse and fine emulsions (e.g., patties, loaves, and sausages).
In these meats (meat patties, meat balls, chili, Salisbury steaks, pizza toppings, and meat sauces among others) textured soy proteins are the ingredients of choice. When making patties, it is necessary to add water at 2 to 3 times the weight of the textured soy protein. If too little water is used to hydrate the textured protein, the finished meat product is too dry. A good guide for hydrating soy products is to achieve a protein level of about 18% in the hydrated form.
In patties, the primary functions of soy protein products are to give structure during cooking and to reduce cooking losses. When properly used, the patty is more moist, will have a higher protein content and lower fat, and thus be better balanced nutritionally.
Several studies with beef patties containing soy protein products indicate that up to 20% hydrated textured soy protein product would be acceptable to the consumer, based on various palatability characteristics. In supplementing ground meat in a patty-type product, up to about 20% substitutions can be made without flavor adjustment. Above this level, additional seasonings may be required to offset the dilution effect of the meat flavor.
The flaked form in a textured soy product assures rapid hydration, which makes the ingredient well-suited for high volume applications. Its meat-like appearance and mouthfeel remain intact throughout strenuous retort and freeze-thaw conditions. It also contributes to overall fat stabilization.
Isolated soy proteins are by far the most versatile of the soy derivatives. Isolates are the most highly refined soy protein products which are commercially available, but they also represent the major proteinaceous fraction of the soybean. Soy protein isolates are prepared from dehulled and defatted soy-beans by removing most of the non-protein components so that the remaining product contains not less than 90% protein on a moisture-free basis.
These soy protein isolates can be utilized to impart such properties as viscosity, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness, and juiciness, and are highly dispersible, soluble and functional products. In meat applications, they are designed to replace a portion of salt soluble meat proteins, bind fat and water, stabilize emulsions and help ensure maintenance of the structure in finished cooked products. Matching specific functional requirements with the proper selection of these isolated soy proteins will result in cost savings and process efficiencies.
Soy protein concentrates are derived from defatted soy flakes through an aqueous alcohol process or acid precipitation. Soy protein concentrate contains a high percentage of soluble protein, giving it superior dispersibility, solubility and emulsification properties, with a good flavor profile. It is an extremely functional soy protein supplement designed to improve texture and mouth-feel of food products by fortifying the myofibrillar proteins found in fish, meats, and poultry. It has a very bland flavor and can be used to fortify the protein content of food products.
The soy proteins used in the various examples described herein are commercially available from the Archer Daniels Midland Company ("ADM") of Decatur, Illinois. ADM soy protein isolate products, which are sold under the trademarks "PRO-FAM" and "ARDEX", are dry products which are highly dispersible, soluble, and functional. Another ADM product, sold under the trademark "ARCON", is a soy protein concentrate which has dispersibility, solubility and emulsification properties, with an excellent flavor profile.
Each of these and similar ADM products mentioned in the examples have been used for many years by food processors. These ADM soy protein isolates and concentrates are high quality proteins made from soybeans. Amino acid content and digestibility are two of the factors that make soy proteins high quality. The quality of the proteins may be measured by using known protein quality evaluation techniques. Therefore, it is highly desirable for any new process to make a meat extending protein crumble begin by using as many of the existing procedural steps as possible in order to eliminate the need for special training and to preserve existing production facilities.
Prior processes for making and using protein crumble have involved shipping frozen isolated soy protein, which means that the shipper has paid substantial freight and refrigeration charges for shipping ice. There would be a substantial savings if the material for making the crumble could be shipped in a dry form.